Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-06
THE WATERBURY EVENING TUESDAY. DEG l887

37. 7.
 taken our purpose. The Atlanta Southern Confederacy of the next day, in m article full of panic, written before the issue was determined, speaks of us as stsome four men yet unknown"
 The different running powers of the pursuers were soon made evident in this apparently hopeless chase Fuller was extraordinarily fleet and of great endur- ance. His companions were equally jealous but less able for running. They were, therefore, soon spread out for Q considerable distance. While putting in his best efforts, Fuller shouted back en- couragement to his comrades, but did not wait. The hope of getting his train soon was too strong, and he also feared that do some injury to the engine before he could come up. The idea that they might offer any resistance did not enter his mind.
 But the chase could not long have con tinued in this manner, for human muscles cannot be pitted successfully against steam. The labored breath and the de- creasing pace of the runners showed that they were we'll nigh exhausted; and as SuA VI oASSA Cnk N0 W6S kOuuQcQ-lOE Wltn the instinct Of railroad men they chung to the track-they grew discouraged; but just before their ''second wind" was ex- hausted, they received both help and re- newed excitement. They came to Moons station, some two miles from the place of starting, and have never been able to make even a plausible conjecture of the time consumed in this first stage of the jour ney; but it is certain that it was just as little as straining muscles and iron could we'll make it.
 Here they learned from the track laying party that some of their tools had been 'borrowed, n and Q short distance beyond some ties placed on the track and the | telegraph cut. This was our first halt, and the track had been obstructed that O train coming from Atlanta might be hin- dered. The pursuers here found a hand l car-not one of the elaborate machine l cars, which may be driven at great speed, but what Fuller termed ''pole car." It was at once pressed into service and gave | a welcome rest. Fuller ran it back lit tie way and picked up his companions, who were behind, then drove forward as fast as the construction of the car would permit. Pushing with long pole in flat made on the level and on down grades, while on the steep up grades two would | jump off and push at Q full run.
 ! At Ackworth they got re-enforcement of two men, MT. Smith and MT. Stockely, and hurried forward. All idea that they were following conscripts had now been given up. They had learned that the cap. tors had been seen oiling their engine, as if preparing for long run, and seeming to operfectly understand their work. Fuller and Murphy were now able, for the first | k. were running on regular time-a circum stance that they had noted in the reports received from the different stations-and that time was only sixteen miles per hour which meant two hours to Kingston They were making seven or eight mile. on the pole car, and that, if kept up d was the utmost they could dol, would bring them to Etowah in two or thret hours from the start "Then if," Fulle continued, Eve can find the old Yonaf ready at our end of the branch, we cal take her and run up to Kingston in fifteeI minutes more. There are to be som extra trains on the road today that vii bother the scoundrels up there, and tn chances are that we will overhaul them a that place, where we will get plenty O help" "But if we do not find tn Yonah readys" was asked. ''Why, then so far as can see, we are done," was tn reply.
 They did not stop to speculate, but wer all this time pressing on at the very high est speed possible. It might we'll be tha one minute would make all the differenc between finding the Yonah and he starting back to the iron works, mile away. But there was Q sharp interrup tion just before they came in sight O | ctx asx,sxx every nerve and looking forward to see the smoke of the engine was yet visible We had taken up rail, and there was crash, a sense of falling, and they foun, themselves lying, hand car and all, in , heap at the bottom of ditchl If the em bankment had been as high at that plac as at many others on the road, all ou danger would have ended, for no othe party that day originated anything agains us; but the ground was almost level; an, except a few bruises, they were unhurt and at once placed their car on the tracl | again.
 While doing this, they were greatl, stimulated and hurried by noticing tn smoke and steam of the Yonah, whicl they could see aoroes the long bend ol their side of Etowah river. If they coul, only make the distance, little more thal l a mile, before tine engine went back ol the branchl With all their power, tik men working for their lives, they drov forward. They were noon to soon. Tn engine was on the main track still, an' the tender was just being turned on tn half moon turn table, preparatory to start ing back. But the people there saw tn furiously driven hand car, with the shout ing, excited men on it, and at once sus pended their work and gathered around to know the cause of these frantic ges lures. Fuller had not much breath lief to spend in talking, but managed to sa. that the Yankees had taken his train, an, that he wanted their engine, and all o
 them with their guns to follow in chase He, with every man of his party, was wei known and there was no stopping to ques tion. Their very appearance, streamini
 with sweat and almost exhausted, bor
 witness to the urgency of their haste. 1 score of strong arms whirled back tn
 tender on the turn table, and pushed
 and an empty coal car up to the engine while 8 number of Confederate soldier
 who were waiting to take the next trai
 southward to Big Shanty, piled in also.
 Now they were off with a strong, wei \ arpod rorfv and tho chaca xvac or r,or